3 Industries Where Uniforms Improve Workplace Safety

December 03, 2015

There are many industries that rely on specially designedÂ uniformsÂ to provide workers with personal protection.

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Employees all across Canada are often required to wearÂ uniformsÂ to work. Sometimes itâ€™s so that customers can identify them as being a member of the company, or to promote a businessâ€™s brand. Other times, workwear is required to provide safety.

There are many hazards that workers can encounter on a jobsite, andÂ uniformsÂ function in a variety of ways to prevent accidents from happening. Some of the risks people face every day include:

Falling or flying objects

Moving vehicles

Heavy machinery

Chemical spills and splashes

Open flame and high temperatures

Extreme cold

Electrical shock

To protect workers against these dangers, companies like JET Uniform & Supply offer a wide range of industrial workwear and personal protection equipment (PPE). Here are trio of industries that rely on our products to safeguard employees:

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1. Restaurant Kitchens

If youâ€™ve spent any time in a commercial kitchen during a peak service period, you know theyâ€™re both hectic and extremely hot. Chefs are constantly bustling around an array of heat-producing appliances:

Ovens

Grills

Deep fryers

RangesÂ

To cope with the heat in such a busy environment, chefs often wear whiteÂ uniformsÂ (hence the term â€˜chefâ€™s whitesâ€™) because white is the best colour for reflecting heat. This keeps them as cool as possible.

Most chefs also wear aprons. Many people would assume this is to keep their attire clean, but it also serves another important role as a safeguard. They wear them so that if theyâ€™re splashed with hot oil or water, they can quickly pull the apron away from their bodies before the liquid reaches their skin.

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2. Construction Sites

Visibility is a major concern for workers on jobsites where there are moving vehicles, or where they are required to be in the proximity of potentially dangerous machinery. This is where high-visibility vests and other reflective workwear become vital to workplace safety.

Drivers and other machine operators are far more likely to notice a worker dressed in a brightly coloured uniform in their vicinity than they are someone thatâ€™s dressed in dark, dull attire.

In fact, on a construction site, pretty much any PPE could be considered part of a uniform:

3. Correctional Facilities

Correctional uniforms are similar to high-vis vests, except theyâ€™re worn for a completely different reason. For prison guards, itâ€™s essential for their safety to be able to distinguish inmates from other officers at a glance. Thatâ€™s why inmates are made to wear brightly colouredÂ uniforms.

In the event of an escape attempt, this coloured attire aids officers in spotting the fleeing prisoner. Should the inmate successfully reach the outside, it also makes it difficult for them to blend in as a regular civilian.

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Do you operate a business where employees wearÂ uniformsÂ to provide workplace safety? JET Uniform & Supply sells and rents workwear for a wide array of industries. Call us to discuss your needs.